Thief hired car to steal meat (From Warrington Guardian)

Thief hired car to steal meat from Morrisons

3:21pm Tuesday 27th September 2011 in Stockton Heath

A MEAT thief who stole more than £190 worth of items from the butcher’s counter at Morrisons, Stockton Heath, has been given a 12-month conditional discharge order.

David Cunningham, from Kirkby, hired a car to travel to the supermarket on Greenalls Avenue, Warrington magistrates’ court heard on Thursday.

Sonia Bellerby, prosecuting, said: “The defendant selected a number of items from the counter before putting them into a trolley.

“In another aisle he put some of the items into his rucksack and went to pay for the items still in his trolley.”

Security stopped the 38-year-old and found £190.68 worth of meat in his rucksack.

Cunningham admitted the offence ‘immediately’ and told police it was his intention to keep some of the items and sell the rest to solve a financial problem.

Mr Hughes, defending, said: “He was motivated by financial desperation after his girlfriend had been saddled with debt due to an earlier relationship.

“He came up with the plan of stealing meat to raise money and service that debt.”

Magistrates told Cunningham to ‘keep out of trouble’ for the next 12 months and ordered him to pay £50 court costs.